Hope Anew
by amy1oM
Summary: Sequel to Keirdorl, AU with a character death warning


**Hope Anew  
****By** Lomeinie

**Rating: **PG  
**Spoilers: Up to Seasons 3 or 4**

**Disclaimers: **I don't own Earth Final Conflict and since I've made no money off of this I expect not to be sued.

///  
Ju'el stared at Da'an as though he did not comprehend what his parent had requested. He blinked several times before he turned away to face the window of the audience chamber.

"Will you not try for my sake?" Da'an asked as he joined his oldest child at the window. Ju'el looked at him.

"Mur'la," he began, "It is not a question whether or not I would wish to help Zo'or conceive a child, but rather it is a question of would he accept my help in such a matter?" Ju'el said. 

"Perhaps his response may surprise you, Ju'el. Although I no longer enjoy a close relationship with Zo'or I have sensed that when the time comes, he will want to have a child. This will only be possible through medical and science intervening. Will you help Zo'or when the time comes?" Da'an asked.

"If he will accept my offer of help, I will help him to have a child, mur'la. I promise you that," Ju'el replied. Da'an smiled and extended his hand to Ju'el. 

"Thank you," he said as Ju'el took his hand. 

Their minds opened to one another. . .  
The two siblings stood in an uncomfortable silence in Zo'or's office space that the United Nations had provided him. The room had been transformed to where it had a combination look of Taelon and human technology.

Zo'or turned to face Ju'el. "What makes you so certain that I would be able to conceive a child if I underwent these treatments?" he asked, gesturing as he spoke. "To say nothing of being able to carry the child to term. You were unable to carry your own child to term. You lost yours. . ."

"I believe that the treatments will work, Zo'or, because you will soon enter the Ka'ath'um by nature's choice. I had had treatments to induce the Ka'ath'um prematurely and clearly, my body was not ready to carry the child. However, I believe that if we both enter the Ka'ath'um naturally, then we will succeed in carrying two healthy Taelon children to term. Will you undergo the treatments with me?" Ju'el asked.

Zo'or stared at him for a moment before turning to face the window. 

"Zo'or, if we are to do this, you must undergo the treatments soon. The Ka'ath'um will soon approach us within the next few months," Ju'el said. His sibling did not answer. "Zo'or. . ."

Zo'or faced him. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Because you are my sibling and because our race needs this hope to survive. Please allow me to help you," Ju'el answered.

///   
_Several Months Later. . ._

Zo'or rubbed his abdomen, smiling as he felt the presence of a tiny mind there. Months ago his twin sibling had approached him with the offer of his help when it was time for Zo'or to conceive a child. The Ka'ath'um had settled on Zo'or two months after they had begun the treatments that would allow him to conceive a child when the time came.

When the Ka'ath'um had come, Zo'or had been pleased to learn that all the symptoms led to him carrying a child. He would become the first Taelon in a thousand years to give birth. . .

Ju'el also carried another child and the siblings would have their children within days of each other if not on the same day. Ju'el was pleased at that the results would perhaps be fruitful for both of them and their race. Within a few days, they would know the results of his efforts when labor began for Zo'or. . .  
Da'an smiled in amusement as he watched his human aides, Boone and Sandoval, attempt to help his children rise from the bench where they had been enjoying the embassy's gardens that morning. Ju'el was quite swollen from the infant he carried but Zo'or was even more so. And whereas Ju'el had kept what might be considered a cheerful disposition, Zo'or was downright grouchy. Still, Boone and Sandoval handle the expecting Taelon with patience, especially after Da'an had explained to them that Taelons in Zo'or's condition are known to have a hormonal imbalance that causes their emotions to run more deeply than they normally might. In short, both implants smiled because it made realize that Taelons were more like humans than they care to admit. . .

One thing that delighted Da'an as he watched his offspring was that they seemed to be growing closer as they endured this time of pregnancy together. Several times he had came upon them sharing in one of the embassy's sitting room, something they hadn't done since they were small children.

As they entered Da'an's chamber, he dismissed the implants with a nod of his head. Ju'el sat down on the Taelon version of a couch even as Zo'or walked to the window to watch the city below.

"It will begin soon," Zo'or said quietly as he rubbed his midsection.

"Are you certain?" Da'an asked, touching his child's arm. Zo'or did not shrink away from his touch even as he looked into Da'an's eyes.

"Yes, I am certain. I have felt the beginning of the shero'haa within my body," Zo'or answered.

"I will alert Ne'eg," Da'an said. 

"Mur'la," Ju'el interjected before Da'an could wave the datastream on, "Shero'haa has begun for me as well. . ." Ju'el said.

Da'an's eyes widened and nodding, he waved on the datastream. . .  
Several hours later, many of the Synod members had either accompanied Ne'eg on the initial trip from the mothership to the embassy or had since arrived when the news that the twins had entered shero'haa. Since most of the Synod had a desire to be present when the new additions to the Commonality were born, they were now crowding Da'an's embassy.

Thankfully, only Quo'on had been allowed in the actual birthing room along with Da'an and of course Ne'eg. Ne'eg brought one other Taelon, Re'ha, to assist with the birth. Ne'eg would oversee the entire process but Re'ha was there to help him just in case both infants were born at the same time.

Zo'or's labor was painful and hard as he felt the part of his being that was his child begin to separate from the rest of his body. It was natural for the Taelon giving birth to fight this separation and part of the birthing process was to get the one giving birth to relax and accept the separation.

Ju'el knew that he had to accept the separation in order for his child to be born and he had an easier time of doing so than Zo'or. Da'an and Quo'on watched in astonishment as Ju'el's labor ended within hours of its beginning, and they watched as Ne'eg laid a tiny infant in Ju'el arms. Ju'el was exhausted from the entire ordeal but he was also euphoric as he and the child, named Ro'ma, were moved to an energy stream where they would both be nurtured.

It was nearly three hours later when Ne'eg knew something was wrong with Zo'or's labor. His labor was not producing the end results and his was beginning to lose his life's energy in the effort to separate the child from himself. Da'an stood watching at the foot of his bed, his figures twitching as he worried about his child.

Ne'eg turned to Da'an. "He grows weaker by the minute. The child must come soon or must be aborted so that we do not lose Zo'or to the void as well," Ne'eg said.

"No, Ne'eg, I will not give this child to the void. You will save us both or we will both perish," Zo'or said softly. He stretched out his hand to Da'an. "Mur'la, help me."

Da'an was startled when Zo'or whispered his plead to him. It had been a long time since he had used the endearment and for a moment Da'an was unsure what to do. Finally he stepped forward after Quo'on touched his arm. He grasped Zo'or's hand and closed his eyes to concentrate. In his mind he showed Zo'or how to complete the separation process and within moments, Zo'or gave a final cry of pain as the child separated from his being and came to rest in the arms of Ne'eg.

Re'ha performed scans of Zo'or even as Ne'eg examined the child. Suddenly Da'an's eyes opened in alarm even as Re'ha called Ne'eg back to Zo'or's side. Ne'eg hastily handed the child to Quo'on and hurried back to Zo'or. Startled, Da'an watched them as they began a series of actions in an attempt to save Zo'or's life! After a few moments, they decided that an energy stream would be the only hope Zo'or would have of surviving this difficult birth.

Zo'or's eyes opened and he looked towards Quo'on who was still holding his child. He looked towards Da'an, his eyes pleading with Da'an for the child to be brought to him. Da'an halted Ne'eg.

"He needs to see the child," he said and took the infant from Quo'on. As gently as he could, he laid the squirming baby into Zo'or's arms and Zo'or smiled at the child.

"You are Ri'el. . .My hope that was anewed. . ." Zo'or whispered, closing his eyes. The baby began to cry even as his parent's energy began to disperse. For moments, everyone on the room was stunned at the loss but finally Da'an stepped forward and picked up the infant from the bed. Holding the baby close, he comforted Ri'el as best he could while dealing with his own grief.

The entire Commonality grieved with Da'an. . .  
For as long as any Taelon could remember, a period of official mourning was announced among the Synod and also was announced to the human population. Out of respect for the grief Da'an was feeling over the loss of his youngest child, the Synod relieved him of all of his diplomatic responsibilities for the period of two Earth weeks and closed the Washington embassy off as Da'an mourned.

All Taelons left Da'an and Ju'el alone in the embassy and the Commonality distanced itself from them as to allow them to mourn together as privately as possible. The only humans present in the embassy were Agent Sandoval and Commander Boone and even they left Da'an alone as much as possible.

Ju'el would spend days recovering from the birth of his child but he was able to leave the energy stream only a few hours after the birth. As soon as he had arranged Ro'ma into a more comfortable position on his shoulder, he went to find Da'an. While he was under the stream he had felt Zo'or's passage and immediately the grief had been overwhelming.

"Mur'la, " Ju'el called as he entered the darkened audience chamber. Da'an did not respond and Ju'el did not see him anywhere in the room. "Mur'la, please answer me. I feel your pain."

Da'an still did not answer him and after a few moments, Ju'el turned to leave. He stopped moving when he heard the sounds of an infant crying. He looked down at Ro'ma first and when he saw that it was not his child crying he turned again to enter the chamber. Finally he saw Da'an in the far corner, holding Ri'el tightly but made no effort to comfort his grandchild.


End file.
